Case of the Virginius

Gradual Growth of Anti-Spanish Feeling

Various things had contributed to arouse American sentiment against Spain. Her whole history was not only opposed to our manner of living and our common thought, but she had done some things which bore directly against American citizens and gave a serious wound to American feelings.

In 1873, the steamer Virginius, flying the American flag and suspected of carrying supplies to the Cubans, then engaged in revolt against Spain, was captured by a Spanish cruiser and taken into the harbor of Santiago. Her officers and crew, to the number of fifty-three, were taken hurriedly into the public square and shot. The diplomatists smoothed matters out so as to avoid war, but twenty-five years were by no means long enough to cause the outrage to be forgotten.

Furthermore, the recent revolutionary condition of the island had affected some American commercial interests; this, however, did not have wide influence upon the people, and Spain was careful to refrain from further outrages upon citizens of the United States, in order to afford no ground, recognized by the law of nations, which would be sufficient to justify our interference.

More wide-reaching was the work of the Cuban "Junta," an organization which the Cubans maintained in the United States for the purpose of distributing information concerning the revolution and arousing sympathy with their cause.

More effective still was the diligent labor of many American newspapers in constantly presenting the hard facts of Spanish savagery to their readers.

Sinking of the Maine

The Friendly Visit

Through these means the people were increasingly agitated; yet a good many often questioned whether the "Junta was not composed of professional agitators working for selfish ends, and whether the newspapers were not printing exaggerated stories to promote newspaper circulation.

But on the evening of the 15th of February, 1898, an incident occurred in the harbor of Havana which suddenly wrought our people to madness, which necessarily turned on the search-lights of official investigation, and led directly to a new and momentous step in the international relations of the world. It was the explosion which destroyed the battleship Maine.

Our consuls in Cuba had presented to the Government the advisability of sending an American battleship to Havana, in a friendly spirit, on the ground that the presence of our flag would restrain the combatants so far as American interests were concerned, and might aid in relaxing the strained relations which were continually increasing between our Government and that of Spain. Accordingly, after consultation with the Spanish Minister at Washington, and notice to the Government at Madrid, on the 24th of January, 1898, the Maine was ordered to pay a friendly and official visit to the harbor of Havana. She arrived on the 25th, was received with the usual naval courtesies and conducted to a place in the harbor by the Spanish pilot. She lay there without special incident for three weeks. At eight o'clock on the evening of the 15th of February all was reported secure to Captain Sigsbee,

President McKinley and Famous Officials.

Secretary of the Navy, John D. Long.
Minister to Spain, Stewart L. Woodford.

Suspended Judgment

Patriotic Excitement

her commander. At forty minutes after nine the vessel was lifted from the water by two terrific explosions and quickly sank, carrying to watery graves two of her officers and two hundred and sixty-four members of her crew.

The cause of the disaster was a mystery, but American sentiment was not slow in attributing it to Spanish treachery. The Captain-General and other officials at Havana disavowed all knowledge and tendered their sympathy, and the Government at Madrid hastened to express its regrets, but the people of the United States recalled the interminable line of Spanish intrigue, and were impatient of the various specious theories which excused the Spaniards from responsibility. If the explosion was not caused directly by Spanish authority, our people were convinced it had been caused at least by Spanish officers who had access to the mines and torpedoes, and who were protected and hidden by their military superiors.

Nevertheless, self-restraint prevailed. Captain Sigsbee, in announcing the explosion, had said, "Suspend judgment"; and the temper of the people and of Congress was in accord with this very sensible advice during the long weeks while our Naval Board of Inquiry, which had been appointed immediately after the disaster, were investigating, with the greatest care, the cause of the explosion.

But though judgment was suspended the country was seething with excitement. The flag suddenly began to float from nearly every building. The schools